Back 
Rising food prices can be linked to that ethanol that you are forced to put in your car when you fill up. Ethanol is a poor choice for fuel especially if it is made from corn. Takes more BTU's to make a gallon than you get back when you burn it.
Frank Bibbs sells fresh corn, okra, peaches and other produce at the Augusta State Farmers Market in downtown Augusta, but not for the same low prices he did last summer.
The U.S. Department of Labor reported a 6.1 percent increase in vegetable prices during June. Mr. Bibbs and other vendors know firsthand the effect of high food prices.
"It is pretty hard for us to stay in business," Mr. Bibbs said. "It's so high we can hardly make any money."
When Mr. Bibbs shops at the State Farmer's Market in Columbia, he pays soaring prices for the produce he sells at his Augusta stand.
On a recent Tuesday, he bought a box of corn for $16. The same quantity sold for about $10 three weeks ago, and his customers are taking notice.
"We have plenty of customers that walk away. Some will turn it down and some won't," Mr. Bibbs said.
Higher prices have consumers comparing prices at produce stands and grocery stores.
"Prices are going up, but I think they're going up less than the grocery store," said Liz Johnson, a customer at the Saturday Market on the River in downtown Augusta. "I'm going to keep buying, but we might prepare smaller quantities."
Mrs. Johnson said the fruit and vegetable quality at the farmers market surpasses that in the grocery store, and she likes supporting local farmers.
Statesboro, Ga., farmer Andre Taylor, who sold Mrs. Johnson peaches and cucumbers, said his business at the Saturday Market expanded this summer.
He estimated that his tomato business grew 20 percent after the Food and Drug Administration warned consumers in early June to avoid certain types of tomatoes that could be linked to a strain of salmonella. Last week, the FDA cleared tomatoes as the source of the contamination.
"They're buying because they know they are getting good products," Mr. Taylor said about his customers. "They know where their food is coming from."
Reach Meg Mirshak at (706) 828-2946 or meg.mirshak@augustachronicle.com.
SATURDAY MARKET ON THE RIVER
- Buy fruits and vegetables downtown today from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Eighth Street Plaza off Reynolds Street.
SHOPPING FOR PRODUCE?
Andre Taylor, a farmer and produce vendor for more than 40 years, suggests the following tips for selecting quality produce:
- A good tomato has a smooth outside and a deep red color.
- Squash should be bright yellow in color. Don't be turned away by scrapes and bruises; they don't affect the quality of the vegetable.
- Look for a zucchini with a green stem. A brown stem or a vegetable without a stem means the zucchini isn't fresh.
- If you are going to eat a cantaloupe the same day you buy it, look for a yellow color. Otherwise, buy a cantaloupe with a stone green color and let it ripen for a few days.
- Peaches should have a yellow bottom and give a little when you gently squeeze them.
Comments
Rising food prices can be linked to that ethanol that you are forced to put in your car when you fill up. Ethanol is a poor choice for fuel especially if it is made from corn. Takes more BTU's to make a gallon than you get back when you burn it.
You need to shop at the local farms around the area, as they are also selling, but have almost little or no overhead to reduce their prices. If this guy is buying a box of corn for $16, and the bushel of corn is only $6, then you are still paying far less than you would at the stores. If you think about this at that level, you can still reduce your food costs. The only other way is to have your own garden producing, but that will only last until winter and you will still be paying far more at the store. Either way, you have to start canning your own food next, and people just don't have that kind of time when they are forced to work minimum wage jobs.
Grow your own when possible ...it's not that hard to "put up"
vegggies for the freezer...canning is another story entirley..way too time consuming for the average person...but blanching and bagging and freezing is easy and possible..........if you take the time to find them there are people in this area who grow and sell fresh produce.
i am newer to the area and cant seem to find these local farms, can you give me some names and locations? I was not impressed by the Saturday market.
The paper has the two markets crossed. One is a State run Farmers Market that is open 7 days a week year round. And the other City Market is only open on Saturday Mornings till after lunch. Try both!!
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012. All Rights Reserved.
